Obstetrical belt



Aug. 15, 1944. L. s. MONEES OBSTETRIOAL BELT Filed July 5, 1941 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l Aug. 15, 1944. L. s. M NEES OBSTETRICAL BELT Filed July 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 15, 1944 2,355,740 oBs'rE'rmcAL BELT Lillie S. McNees, Overton, Tex, assignor of onethird to L. R. Skinner, Kilgore, Tex.

Application July 5, 1941, Serial No. 401,274

1 Claim.

type indicated are practically worthless for reasons which now will be stated. Since even with a sanitary pad of extraordinary size frequent renewal is required, the belts presently available for use. during the menstrual period have been found .wholly inadequate for supporting and properly maintaining in position a pad of that size. Moreover, most physicians recognize the undesirability of any elastic and confining belt member during the post-natal period, and for that reason have forbidden theuse of any form of restraint.

A belt to be fully satisfactory for. the punpose described must be capable of a wide range of size adjustment to accommodate the progressive contraction of the womb after delivery, and yet it must-fit perfectly at all stages so. as to permit freedom of movement and prevent riding out of position. a

Other practical requirements are coolness while on the patient, complete protection against leakage on the outside, and ease of laundering.

The belt or special garment of the present invention satisfies all of these objects and is at the same time simple 7 and relatively inexpensive. One of the special features of novelty is its shape or outline, which may be described as a threeended one, having two similar ends adapted to be joined around the waist'of the wearer, and the third end, which is intermediate, positioned to cover the perineum and be adjustably and independently secured in the front to the waist encircling ends so as to provide adjustment of the crotch length. Preferably, the crotch end or extension is lined in its pad-engaging area with a moisture-repellent layer or shield terminating an appreciable distance from its extremity to receive fastening means. The edges or three sides of the belt are shaped to form when assembled a garment which will lie substantially flat over the back, hip bones, and abdomen; and snugly encircle the extreme upper portions of the thighs.

A further and specific object of the invention is to provide a belt of the character described with a rubber-like shield which is attached so as to be free-draining, thus avoiding rupture in washing.

These and other features of improvement affording important advantages in use, manufacture, or laundering will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and two modifications, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the belt inner side;

Fig. 2 is a front isometric view of the belt in assembled relation;

Fig. 3 represents a cross-section taken on line III-III of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 shows a further cross-section at the line 1V-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified belt construction, and taken from the inner side;

Fig. 6 represents an enlarged cross-sectional view along line VI-VI of Fig. 5; a a

Fig. 'I is an enlarged cross-section taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 illustrates by means of an inner side plan view a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 9 shows to an enlarged scale a vertical secat... from the tion taken on line iX-IX of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 similarly is an enlarged scale crosssection at line, X-X of .Fig. 8.

In the embodiment shown in Figs.- 1 to 4, reference numeral l2 indicates the belt generally, which comprises a continuous back layer l4, symmetrical about its vertical axis, as viewed in Fig. 4, and a fabricated front layer Hi.

It is to be further noted thatbelt I2 is formed with a pair of relatively wide body encircling ends l6 and I8, and is provided with an intermediate, depending crotch extension or end 20.

The continuous, three-ended back layer l4 may be made of a strong, but fairly light, textile fabric cut on the bias. With an exception to be mentioned, the front or inner layer is is similarly formed and has a central, rectangular panel 22 of the same width as crotch end 20, and extending from the top to the bottom of the belt illustrated in Fig. 1. In practically every instance it has been found preferable to provide the belt of this invention with a moisture repellent layer in its pad-engaging area, such as represented by therubber insert or shield 24, comprising a part of the central panel 22 and front or inner layer l5, although in the later part of the post-natal period a. plain belt may suflice.

Figs. 1 and 2 taken together best illustrate the novel shape of belt I! and the functional reasons ments, and the therefor. At its top the belt l2 has a deeply concaved, waist-encircling edge 26 extending to straight-end edges 28 and 30, respectively, of approximately five inches in length in a medium sized belt, and arranged at nearly right-angles to edge 26. A pair of lower edges 32 and 34 merge with central panel 22 and define the projecting portion of crotch end 20 which has straight side edges 36 and 38 and end. edge 40; these edges, 32 and 34, are quite concave adjacent panel 22 and become nearly straight as they approach end edges 28 and 30, with which they make approximately right-angle intersections. In assembled relation the edge 26 is capable of conforming to the somewhat oval cross-section of the human torso above the hips, and the edges 32-36 and 3438 will fit snugly around the buttocks and the upper extremities of the thighs in a fashion which will insure perfect comfort and prevent dislocation of the belt. Heating of the patients back can be minimized the shield 24 as far below concave possible.

The inturned, through-stitched seam shown at 42 in Fig. 3 extends around the complete periphcry of belt l2, but from points 44 and 46, where edges 32 and 34 respectively join the crotch extension 20, to the upper edge 26, and on both transverse end connections of rubber shield 24 with central panel 22, a blind seam 48, formed by inturning and stitching only the inturned portion, the rubber shield 24 is preferably employed.

Because of the required range of fine adjustundesirability of fasteners which will interfere with laundering, and in time corrode, the completely detachable pairs of safety pins 50, 50 and 52, 52 for the waist and crotch connections respectively are most favored. The relative independence of these fastening means results in a much better fit and permits the sanitary pad or dressing to be replaced without disturbing the waist or abdomen adjustment. Obviously, more than two pins may be used for each connection.

In view of the fact that the two modified embodiments represented by Figs. 5 to 10 are of the same shape as the principal embodiment, and are in many other points similar, only the features of difference will be described, it being understood that the foregoing detailed explanation is otherwise applicable.

Referring to the modification of Figs. 5 to 7, the belt generally designated I20, has an outer layer 220 which is divided by a central longitudinal seam 222 which is concealed by having its edges turned in and covered by an inner belt edge 26 as layer 224. In this embodiment, the inner layer 224 is of a single continuous piece of fabric in order properly to support a pad shield 24!] of by spacing assazco anon-heating and relatively weak, moisture repellent material, such as that sold commercially under the name Softex." A seam 480, formed by turning under the edge and stitching through both thicknesses, extends around shield 240 and connects it to the inner layer 224 only, and not to outer layer 220.

The further modification shown in Figs. 8 to 10 diflers from the other modification only in its pad shield 250 and the manner of attachment of that shield. Here the shield 25!! comprises an elongated sheet of rubber-like material having its opposite ends turned in and held down by transverse rows of stitching 252 and 254, respectively. Only the entire side edges and spaced points of the shield 250, such as 256 and 258 intermediate its opposite ends are stitched to the inner layer of the belt 120. By so doing the opposite ends of moisture-repellent shield 25!] are left substantially unrestrained, and free drainage of water entrapped in washing and wringing is afforded without danger of rupture of the impervious shield.

Obviously, the belt of this invention can be used for other purposes, although designed primarily for obstetrical cases.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of a co-pending one which was filed August 29, 1939, Serial No. 292,469.

It is to be expected that numerous changes will be made in the details of construction of the disclosed belt or garment, but it is not intended that the same should be limited thereto except as required b thespirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A flexible obstetrical belt 01 the character described, comprising when fiat a pair of waistand-hip encircling end portions, and an intermediate crotch end portion, said belt being formed with a markedly concave edge between said pair of end portions and having symmetrically arranged, concave edges extending between the respective waist-and-hip encircling end portions and the crotch end portion, said three end portions and concave edges of the belt being shaped and arranged to form when assembled on a wearer a snug fitting garment for the waist, hip, and perineal regions adapted to enclose and support a sanitary pad, and said belt being formed of coextensive outer and inner fabric layers, and a moisture-repellent shield of relatively weak, non-heating material located on the inner side of the belt and stitched throughout its periphery to the inner fabric layer only and in a position to engage the sanitary pad.

LII-HE S. McNEES. 

